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“No way, no how no McCain” |
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Written by Dr. Garth A. Rose
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Monday, 01 September 2008 |
 First, Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, thrilled the audience at the Democratic National Convention’s in Denver, and a national audience, with her emotional speech on her husband’s behalf, then on Tuesday night his former rival Hillary Clinton, buoyed this audience speaking in strong support of him, as she attempted to unite the party.
Obviously with the intent to mobilize her staunch supporters to vote for Obama in November, she told the audience that she was a proud supporter of Obama, and "Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines. This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win together."
One of the main concerns leading up to, and at the convention, was the division that still existed between Obama and Clinton supporters months after the Democratic primaries ended in June. Polls have shown that some 49 percent of Clinton supporters said they did not intend to vote for Obama in November. However, although Clinton obviously made a valiant attempt to get her supporters to rally behind Obama, it is uncertain if this was achieved.
Following her speech, interviews with her supporters on MSNBC and CNN showed that her speech did not convince them to support Obama. In fact, with these supporters Clinton’s powerful and confident speech made them ask, “Why wasn’t she selected to be Obama’s vice president pick?” And, a CNN poll conducted on Wednesday morning showed only a small percentage of Clinton’s supporters saying they would move to support Obama.
However, Democrats, are still convinced that after Clinton’s speech sinks in, and after Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver on Thursday evening, more of Clinton’s supporters will be supporting Obama.
But, Clinton’s speech was not only about party unity. She used her speech to effectively attack John McCain, using the line “No way, no how, No McCain” to appeal to Democrats to vote against the last eight years of Republican rule led by George Bush. Clinton said although McCain was her friend his policies were too much like Bush’s. With a show of remarkable confidence Hillary told her audience that it was fitting that Bush and McCain will be in the twin city of St. Paul, Minneapolis, to attend the Republican convention next week, because, “These days it is awfully difficult to tell the difference between the two of them.”
Clinton also praised Joe Biden for being selected as Obama’s vice presidential pick, and Michelle Obama for her speech the night before, saying that she would make an “outstanding first lady”.
Obama called Clinton after the speech and thanked her for her support and said she could not have done a better job.
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